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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — of ice
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — a line
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — a hat
  14. craft — boats
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — a skill
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bass — the fish
  22. perch — the fish
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com